The wreck of the SORELDOC lies in two pieces in 94m of water. The remains are distributed along a roughly north/south axis with the bow section to the south. The bow section is 39m in length and 13m wide, the stern section is 36m long.

The wreck was originally identified by the UKHO as the EMPIRE PANTHER (NPRN 240318). Research by Dr Innes McCartney (2022: 162) for the Echoes from the Deep project, following a detailed survey by Bangor University in March 2019, identified the wreck as being dimensionally, positionally, and archivally consistent with the loss of the SORELDOC. The record has been updated to reflect that new research.

Event and Historical Information:
The SORELDOC was a steamship belonging to the United States of America. Technical and configuration specifications are given as 1926gt, 252ft (77m) length x 42.9ft breadth x 18ft depth.

On the 28th February 1945 the SORELDOC was on passage from Liverpool to Swansea in ballast when it was torpedoed by the German submarine U-1302 (NPRN 273318). The vessel broke in two and sank within 4 minutes with the loss of 15 lives.

The position given by the Commander in Chief of the Western Approaches to begin searching for the loss was 52 15N,05 33W. A non-submarine sonar contact was located in the vicinity by Escort Group 25 in March 1945. In May of the same year, it was reported that the wreck lay with its keel orientated 040/220 degrees, had a length of 80ft, and a height of 30ft. Oil was also noted as coming to the surface along with floating wreckage. HMS BEAGLE relocated the wreck in April 1980.

Sources include:

McCartney, I., 2022. Echoes from the Deep. Leiden: Sidestone Press. https://www.sidestone.com/books/echoes-from-the-deep

UKHO ID 9892: Contains public sector information, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0, from UK Hydrographic Office.

J. Whitewright, RCAHMW, November 2023

Site Record

Soreldoc (UKHO 9892)